Spring clip



Jan. 2, 1968 W. SCHNEIDER I SPRING CLIP Filed Feb. 11, 1966 Walfer Schneider 1 NVENTOR- r 3 a. w J

At torney United States Patent 3,360,833 SPRING CLIP Walter Schneider, Unterrenggstrasse, 8135 Langnau,

' Zurich, Switzerland Filed Feb. 11, 1%6, Ser. No. 526,845 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Feb. 26, 1965, 2,752/65 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-81) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A spring clip for clamping mating ground glass pipe joints together wherein a pair of double-arm levers are hinged together and have one set of arms urged together by a leaf spring and formed with outwardly spreadable resilient fingers adaptable to hug a glass tube behind the respective joint parts, the fork arms being formed by U-shaped leafsprings bent into segment-like configuration at their bifurcate portions and forming bights which are attached to respective handles by lugs bent around the bights of the arms.

This invention relates to a spring clip for holding together particularly the ground taper joints on glass pipes, with two double-arm levers which are connected to form tongs and have arranged between them a spring for closing the tongs, one arm of each of the double-arm levers being formed as a fork for engagement behind the respective pipe-shoulder, while the other arm is formed as a handle.

From such clips, the spring clip according to the invention differs in that the fork arms are so constructed and arranged as to be resiliently movable transversely t0 the pipe axis.

The form of the clip according to the invention has the advantage that it may be used, without in any way impairing its actions, for all makes of ground glass taper joints to be found on the market, whereas the conventional connecting clips can be used only'for a few makes, since in the case of the many ground glass taper joints on the market, even in one and the same type and/or in one and the same size, there will be as a rule considerable dilferences in diameter. With the spring according to the invention it is now possible to rectify and/ or compensate for such variations in diameter.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, a preferred embodiment incorporating the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the spring clip set onto a taper ground-glass connection, and

FIG. 2 is a scetional view taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 1.

The spring clip shown serves for holding together, with ease of detachment, the parts ground into each other of the taper connection of two glass pipes and/ or pipe branches 1 and 2.

The spring clip comprises two double-arm levers 3 and 4, connected through a hinge joint 3e to form tongs. Of these levers, One arm 3a and 4a of each is formed as a fork, the arms thereof being adapted for engagement behind the shoulders 1a and/or 2a provided on the pipe branches 1 and 2, while the other arm 3b and/ or 4b of each lever is formed as a handle. Levers 3 and 4 are under the action of a leafspring 5 which tends to close the tongs or to move the fork-shaped arms 3a and/or 4a towards each other or to keep them in position on the respective shoulder 1a and/ or 2a.

In contrast to the handles 3b, 4b, that are of fixed configuration and unchanging in shape (i.e. rigid), the fork arms 3a, 4a are designed to be resiliently movable with regard to the axis AA of the pipe joint. In the illustrated 3,360,833 Patented Jan. 2, 1968 example the fork arms 3a, 4a are formed by leafsprings, the cross-sectional main axes of which extend parallel to the axis AA ofthe place of connection. In the contact-region of the pipe branches 1, 2 the fork arms 3a, 4a are bent into segments, whereby they extend so close together that the fork opening W-with fork arms relaxed (i.e. unspread)is at its narrowest place smaller than the internal diameter of the segment-shaped bends of the fork arms 3a, 4a, so that the pipe branches 1, 2 are held firmly together, not merely frictionally but also positively by the fork arms.

Each two correlated fork arms thereby include a single substantially U-shaped piece, whereby the extensions 3d, 4d of the fork arms extend into the respective handle 3b and/ or 4b and are fixed thereto. In the illustrated example this fixing is effected by lugs 3c and/or 40 provided on the respective handle, bent around the extensions 3d and/ or 4d of the fork arms and holding them in part frictionally and in part positively.

As shown in FIG. 1, a screw 6 extending transversely of the levers between them rises towards the upper handle and is fitted in the lower handle. This screw has a knurled nut 7 rotatably arranged thereon.

For securing the ground taper connection, the clip with the resilient fork arms is placed from the side onto the pipe branches 1 and 2 as visible from the drawing, whereby the fork arms, when passing the widest part of the pipe branches, slightly spring apart, and then upon passing that part spring back again and clamp themselves resiliently onto the branches. With the clips gripping the pipe branches, the leafspring 5 applies via the fork arms 3, 4 an axial pressure against the shoulders 1a and/ or 211. In case this spring pressure should not be sufficient to secure the joint, the knurled nut 7 may be rotated on the screw spindle 6 until the hub 7a thereof engages the upper handle 31) with the required pressure.

For securing the taper ground connections, use is made of a modified clip in which the lower handle 4b continues in an upwardy-bent lug 8 towards the pipe joint, this lug passing over into an open book 8a at the free end, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 1. With the clip set onto the pipe connection, hook 8a grips over the shoulder 1a and thus hinders or renders more diflicult, in coaction with the fork 4a engaging under the shoulder 1a, any swinging of the clip round the axis B--B, for instance should the clip be involuntarily knocked. In this way the pipe connection is prevented from springing apart.

What I claim is:

1. A spring clip for securing together a pair of separate ground glass joint members, comprising a pair of double arm levers lying generally in respective planes and hingedly interconnected at a location intermediate the ends of said levers for relative movement about an axis parallel to the respective planes, said levers each including a generally U-shaped leafspring forming at one corresponding end a respective bifurcation with gripping fingers resiliently deflectable away from one another in the respective plane and adapted to hug the respective joint member and bight portions forming the other ends of the respective levers, spring means bearing upon said levers for urging the bifurcations thereof toward one another, said fingers being formed of segmental configuration in the region of engagement with the respective joint members, and handles overlying said bi'ght portions of said levers and provided with lugs securing said levers to said handles, said handles reinforcing the resilient gripping action of the fingers of the associated lever and said U-shaped leafsprings reinforcing the respective handles.

2. A spring clip as defined in claim 1 wherein one of said bifurcations is wider than the other of said bifurca- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1948 Meneses 285-406- X 2/1952 Graham 24-257 X 4 11/1953 Heluer 24-257 X 10/ 1958 Knoll 24-257 X 10/ 1962 Fernberg et a1 24257 X 11/1965 Schmid 285-317 FOREIGN PATENTS 2/ 1965 Germany.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner. 

